Apple makes iPhone 6s water-resistant, but tells no one

Apple’s new 6s and 6s Plus iPhones are nearly waterproof thanks to a new technology the company privately pioneered.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus comes equipped with a new gasket around the sides of the device and every cable connector is enclosed on the phone's logic board with a waterproofing material.

“Typically, if you get a phone wet, the danger comes when you have logic board contacts with a charge running through them exposed to water,” said Jeff Suovanen, an engineer at iFixit who recently took an iPhone 6s apart to study its water-resistant credentials. “They can short out, and afterwards they can start to corrode.”

Most other water-resistant phones focus on protecting external ports, rather than internal electronics. And given that the logic board, which includes the iPhone’s most sensitive technology, is the most prone to water damage, Apple’s new interior water-resistant technique is rather clever.

“It’s basically a thin wall; it almost looks like wetsuit material. It’s soft, spongy, you can press on it and feel it give a little bit,” Suovanen said. “It’s surrounding those little logic board connectors, and then the ribbon cable connects over the top and creates a little pressure seal to keep the water out.”

While the new phones are water-resistant, they are not fully waterproof; nonetheless they stand the best chance of surviving a spill than any other iPhone thus far. The strange part about Apple adopting this new technology is that it never mentioned anything about the new feature.

While Apple may not have marketed water-resistance as a unique selling point, those who drop their iPhone 6s in the toilet may be pleasantly surprised to find it still works. Additionally, increased water resistance means iPhone 6s models will last longer and have fewer costly repairs.

Below is a video of the iPhone 6s surviving water infusion, so you can see for yourself.

Source: Engadget and Wired